Automobile roof construction



sept'. 193s.- H'. METZ 013,314

AUTOMOBILE ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed Maron 22,' 1954 5A sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR MEM/z 0. /VE rz sept. 3, 193s. H o, METZ 2,013,314

AUTOMOBILE ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed Maron 22, 1934 s sheets-sheet 2 WITNESS vn: lNvENToR yg W www Mpluh-f 0- 48 BMM ATTO NEYs Spt. 3,'1935. H. o. METZ 2,013,314

AUTOMOBILE ROOF CONSTRUCTION v Filed March 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR /f//vz 0. Mfr-z (my YY I WITNESS Patented Sept. 3,( 1935 '.uroMoBmE Roor CONSTRUCTION Heinz 0. Metz, seersaale, N. Y. i

f Application March 22, 1934, Serial No. 716,753 5 Claims. (Cl. 296-107) The invention relates t'o a roof structure lfor the body of an automotive vehicle,` such as an automobile, and has forits specific object to provide such automobileywith a body construction, including a roof structure therefor which is slidable upon and within the body frame to serve as the top for such body when a completely closed bodyis desired and to be capable of being lowered into the body portion of the automobile when it is desired to convert the automobile into the open body type. The present invention enables van automotive and at will used as a closed motor car or one which is open, i. e. without a roof.

A feature of the present'invention is the fact that the change from a closed vehicle, for instance, a coup or a sedan, to theopen type, i. e. without aclosed top, can be effected in a few minutes by an individual operator, while such vehicle is on thev open road.

Theinvention is applicable to any of the several types of motor vehicles now on the market with only slight alteration in the body construction of such vehicle to adaptthe same for the application thereto of my novel roofnstructure. It is, of course, -contemplated that my novel construction of automobile roof or top would find its most advantageous application to automobiles having a body construction particularly designed for the use therein of my novel roof structure but nothing herein contained shall be regarded it adapted for the fitting thereon of my new roof structure, have'been 4made.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a roof structure for an automobile which collapsible the ordmary sense and which vehicle to be alternately manipulation both in the bringing ofthe roof structure to its position so as to be effective to form .the closure of the automobile body and initswithdrawal from such effective position to its place of concealment within the body when the vehiclel is desired to 45 be converted to the open type. Further objects of the invention consist in the provision of mechanical elements to assist the 'operator in bringing the roof structure to one position or the other with a minimum of effortand minimum of mechanical ingenuity necessary in the manipulation `of the structure. Various# specific novel features, for instance, in facilitating the movement of the sliding roof Vstructure through the remaining body portion of the automobile, the provision of reinforcing frames, and the provision of means for attaining an effective closure of the'roof against rain and dust, are

, included in the inventive concept.

It will be readily appreciated that the average 90 automobile user who can aord the ownership of only one car throughout the year,vis desirous of making use of his automobile under any prevailing weather conditions. However, in view of the factthat esthetic taste plays an important role in the selection of an automobile by the average user, he sacrifices the matter of convenience and utility to theA matter of appearance when purchasing an automobile. For instance, during the winter months he finds it necessary to have a closed car, while during the spring and summer months dictates of convenience and utility would ordinarily prompt himto purchase an open type of car which would enable him to obtain the benefits of sunshine and'fresh air while 35 traveling, which benefits ordinarily are not obtainable when driving a closed automobile, such as a sedan or coup. For this reason automobile manufacturers have sought to provide a type of automobile which is convertible at the will 40 of the operatorrfrom a closed to an ope'n type of car or vice versa. "In view of the limitations of construction placed upon the automobile manufacturer by the necessity of cateringto the esthetic taste of the public in the designing of automobile bodies, such manufacturers have not been heretofore capable.of producing'an automobile body of the type having this specific ad' vantage Without changing the design of their product in so material av respect that the auto- 50 mobile would not have such conventional lines as seem to b e demanded by the public. With the present tendency toward extremes in body construction, for instance, the streamlining of automobile bodies, the problem becomes even more paramount.

acute, for the demand for a-motor car of utility and convenience as wellas of appearance, is

In: accordance with my invention, Vthe familiar appearance of the automobile body is retained and yet an'effective solution of the problem of conversionof the vehicle linto the closed or open type at the will Aof the owner is made without sacrificing the utilitarian and esthetic appearance of the automobile. j

Specific embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the accompanyingv drawings in which Fig. 1V is a side elevation of 'a roadster type of motorV car built in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the roof structure constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the hues 3-3 Vof Figs. land '1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on the lines M of Figs. -2 and '1; Fig. 5isaside elevation of the sedan ty'peof motor with my inventionapplied thereto; Fig. 6 isa top plan view of the vehicle shown in Fig. 5 with my novel roof structure in the position in whichit leaves the automobile open at the top; Fig. '7' isanenlarged detail, partly in section, of the roof structure adaptedfor use with the sedan type of car; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the frame supporting the roof; Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7; 10 is an enlarged section on the linev l-lll of Fig. 8.; Fig. V11 is an enlarged 'detail showing the juncture of the two roof tracks use dinthesedantypeofcar; andFig. 12isasec- Y tion on the line l2-l2 of Fig. 11.

" reference character I5.

` Y Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Whichsimilar reference characters identify similar partsin the several views, ,the body of the vehicle illustrated in Fig. 1 is` designated by the The inside portions I6 of the-metallic 'frame of the body are recessed as shown-by the ange l1 which house the frame bars .I 8 to which is securedat various points along its peripheral extent, by means of screws I9, the channeled rlmners or guide rails 20. Within the channelportions of the guide rails 20 are adapted -to slide rollers 2| secured by bolts 22 to the frame 23 .supporting the roof 24.V The roof 24 is of the usual sheet metal construction, the side portions of which `extend over and above the guide rails 20.

The roof 24 Ais secured to the cross bars 2 5 of its supporting frame by'means .of a plurality of screws26. Y. .j y

As will be noted from Fig."3,'the rollers 2l bear upon the upper surface vof the lower channel members of the guide-rails 20 and have a slight A --venience in performing this clearance between their upper. surfaces and the lower surface of the upper channel member.

I n order to facilitate the sliding movement of the frame supporting thereof structureY within` the guide rails 20, a plurality of rollers 21 mounted -upon shafts 29 secured` withinreceses 29 in the longitudinal side bars of the frame extending into `rthe'fguide rails 29 are provided along the side edges of the roof T heserollers 21 assist-the sliding movement of the roof structure within the guide rails' 20 during its movement within such guide and serve toprevent lateral movement thereof.-`

flfhe. stnictln'e just owner-'to convert the -motor vehicle at will into the closed or open typeby sliding the roof frame, supporting the roof, along the lguide railsv 2l secured to operation, I provide frameo! the roof thesideframesofthebody. Forcon-A structure with recesses 29 constituting meansfor grasping the roof frame (Fig. l0) by means of which the frame and the roof supported thereon may be grasped for accomplishing thesliding movement thereof along the guide rails.

For locking the roof structure in its position in'` which it serves as the enclosure for the motor car, I provide a pair of spring-actuated Ahandles 30 (Fig. secured at the end ofa leverl3l pivoted atv 32 within a bracket 33 secured by screws 34,

' 34 to the cross beam of the frame. The handles 30 are secured upon a tubular casing 3,5 containing a compression spring 36. When the roof frame has been brought to its position over the car body, each of the handles 30 may be turned about its axis so as to have one portion thereof enter the corresponding recess 29 and by abutting against the side of the beam within such re-l cess retain the roof frame in position. When the roof is to be moved into its concealed position,

i. e. when it is desired to convert the car into the open type, the handles are released from theV "A recesses 29, turned abouttheir axes and about the pivots of their rods 3l -to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10, the casing 35 beingse# cured within the clips 31.

For securing a tight engagement forward vedge of the roof structure and the edge of the body frame, a tongue 39 is provided throughout the width of the edge of the bodyA between the frame, which is adapted Yto cooperate with a cori respondingly configured recess" in' the forward edge of the roof frame.Y

At the rear end of the roof frame is provided a small triangularly shaped projecting element 3B which is effective to cooperate' with the beaded projection 38 at the upper edge of the rumble seat 'v s cowling.

It will be noted Ythat my sliding roof structure is of such configuration that in the position in which it is effective to enclose the interior of the. car body it blends completely with the outline of such body, while when it is in the position effective to leave the car body open at the top it is ,substantially entirely concealed within the portion of the body intermediate the two front seats and. the rumble seat. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, a partition wall 39 is provided front,

of the rumble seat compartmentand immediatelyrearwardly of the portion of the body into which the frame structure isadapted to slide so as to guard the rear vision window 40 from the feet of the occupants of the rumble seat. .In

order to provide two resilient cushioning means for the retracted roof and frame,I Aprovide a pair of springs 4I at the extremity of the cavityA into which the roof structure is adapted to slide in its concealed position. The provision of these springs also facilitates the initial movement of the roof structure upwardlyvwhen the seme is grasped by the operator by means of therecesses 29, two of which may be conveniently'provided in the uppermost Across bar lof the roof frame.

-In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 5-9, as appliedto a sedan of car,

the body of the automobile is designated by the reference character 42. In such construction,l in

view of the larger area of the roof and the ne'- cessity o concealingsuch larger roof in the sm'all wardly 'of the seats of the car, .the roof structure consists of two parts, the frames 43 and 44. The

guide rails for this modied form of roof strucspace available ,within the body portion rear- 1" enlarged detail in Figs. 3 and 4.

Y the compartment 45.

-' a double set of such .trated in enlarged detail The second embodiment of my inventive strucf tui-e diaersifrem that niet described in that a single set of guide rails is provided ior the roof frame along the top portion of the car body'but guide rails is provided in the portion of the car body into which the roof structure is to slide when converting the automobile to the open type. g

in Fig. 7 which in full lines shows the roof structure in position, above the car body and in dotted lines the course of travel for concealment ofthe two parts of the roof structure and their positions when' concealed within the body.

In eifecting the movement of thejroof lstruc- `ture to its concealed position, the rear portion ofsuch roof structure is rst disengaged from the front portion by withdrawing the v,handles 30 from within the slots 29 (see Fig. i0) such structure beine preferably the o ne shown i at-approximately the mid-point of the roof structure illustrated in Fig. 7. After such rear vptntio'n'of the roof` structure has been housed within its guide rail compartment 45, the front' roof section'y 43 is released by withdrawing the handles 30 at the front end of such front section is brought, by sliding along the guide rails, to the position occupied bythe rear section prior to its movement into its compartment` 45. 'I'he handle 481s then grasped-by `the operator and pushed a slight distance upwardly to the position 'shown lin dotted lines in Fig.` 9, such movement being eiective, by means v of the cross bar 41 to which such handle is attached, to move the guide rails 48, 48 upwardly a suilicient distance so that ing therefrom and through the slots l brackets i mounted on the side of the body clear the nose of the leaf springs 52, the guide rails being retained in their upper positionV by the abutment of the pins 49 against the upper surface of the projectionson the leaf springs 52. AIn the movement of the guide rails to their upper e position, the frame bars I8, to which such` guide rails are secured by screws I9, are pivoted upon bolts 51 passing through said frame bars and guide rails, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. In the upper position of the guide rails 48, they are in alignment with the guide rails 53 to the rear of From this position of the roof structure (see Fig. 7),

front section of the `it may then be made to slide within the guide rails 48 and into the guide rails within the compartment 53. Whenl the two portions of the roof structure have thus been guided intotheir compartments 45 and 53, the handle 46 may again be depressed, carrying theV upper guide rails to their lower position and the substantially triangular door section 54 pivoted at 55 may be brought to its closed position so as to be effective to keep dust vand rain from entering the compartments 45 and 53. Bumpers 56, 55, of any suitable'cushioning material, may be provided at the bottoms of the compartments 45 and 53.

In bringing the roof structure to its position in which it is eiective to enclose the interior of the car, the operations just described are performed in reverse order. 'Ihe door section 54is thrown to the position illustrated in Fig. 7 in dotted lines.

'I'he structure is illusthe body from their recesses and the pins 49 extend- 50 in the vpair being pivoted is brought nrst to the position occupied by the rear section when theroof strucl ture is in closed positiomby being "grasped by means of the recesses 29 therein.- When the rear section has thus been brought to 'suchfpositiom the handle 4B may again be depressed;bringing the guide rails 48 to their lowerfposition in alignment with the guide-rails in compartment 45 and the section moved to its 'forward position where it is secured by means of the forward latching -mechanism The rear `section is then grasped by means of its recesses 29 and brought, by sliding in the guide rails 2li, to its position rearwardly of the front section, the latch mechanism at the point of juncture or the two sections being brought into position to unite the sections. 'Ihe door section 54 is then broughtto its closed position so as to prevent rain and'dust from entering the compartments 45 and v53. i

It will be noted that atthe point of juncture of the two sections of the roofstructure they are united by means of the tongue' 38 provided throughout the width' of4 the rear face of the front section, so as to enter a corresponding. recess in the front face of the rear sectionoi the roof.

This construction makes the root line of junction waterproof so as to prevent access of rain or dust to the interior of the'car.

ilclaim:

1.-,The combination oi avehicle body having at each side a pair of-barV elements pivoted at ytheir meeting edges with a root structure comprising a plurality of guide rails, a frame slidably mounted upon said guide rails and consisting of ltwo sections detachably secured roof secured to each of said frame sections." y 2. The combination with a, vehicle body of a roof structure comprising two pairs of bar elements, each pair being pivoted at their abutting ends, a frame having two sections detachably secured to each other at their meeting edges, a roof secured to each of said frame sections. a single set Iof guide rails running substantially throughout the length of each pair of said bar together, and a 1 elements, and a double set of guide rails running pairs of bar elements, the barelements of each pair being pivoted and secured to each other at their meeting ends, a singlefguide rail secured to each bar element of a pair' of said bar elements, a set lof double guide rails, two frame sections slidably mounted in said guide rails, a roof for each of said sections, and means for raising said set of double guide rails to-a position in which they are in alignment with said single guide rails.

4. A vehicle roof structure comprising two pairs of bar elements, the bar elements of each and secured to each other at their meeting ends, a single guide rail secured to each bar element of a pair of said bar elements, a set of double guide rails. two frame sections slidably mounted in said guide rails, a root for each of said sections, and means for raising said set of double guide rails to a position in which they are in alignment with said single guide rails, said means comprising a cross bar, a handle on said cross bar, a pair of brackets having slots therein, pins extending from said guide rails through said slots and a pair of leaf springs having abutment ends and secured to said brackets.

5. The combination of a vehicle body having at each side a pair of bar elements pivoted at their meeting edges with a rooi structure comprising a. frame having two sections detachably secured together at their meeting edges, a. roo! for each of said sections, a. set of guide rails 5 within which. said frme is adapted to slide, and a double set of guide rails positioned rearwardly of said first set, the rear portion of said iirst set of guide rails being adapted to be raised or lowered -at one end, to bring the same into alignment with either of the guide of said double set.' l

mINZ O. METZ. 

